If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

No it's not! In fact most multi vitamins are rubbish , if you are serious about taking vitamins you can get a good 6 a day multi made from all whole ingredients at your local healthfood store or vitamin shop , but 1 a day multi's don't really work that well!

Centrum is well regarded, and if you compare its RDA percentages and what it contains, it compares favorably to most other brands.

I prefer GNC's Mega Man because 1) I am a Mega Man , and 2) it appears to have more components at higher levels. It also gives you a mega blast of the B vitamins. So much B vitamins that it will turn ones uh, effluent lets say, a strange, alien color.

It is almost assuredly more important to eat a well balanced diet, but taking vitamins does not hurt (in my view).

i think it more depends on how old you are, and your digestive system, it may work for you. if you are trying to lose weight, working "hard" is not nessicarly the best way. Go on an eliptical treadmill whatever is your fancy for the day and get your heartrate to around 60%. The best "place" for your heart to be while losing weight.

Furthermore i take centrum as a multivitamin. If i forget to take them for a few days, i generally get a runny nose. Also id strongly suggest getting a protein powder ( one scoop of mine is 34g protein and like 90 calories) i also take a vegatable suppliment and one scoop is apparrently the equivalant to 8 veggie servings a day.

I also have a very hard time getting what my body needs, because of my lifestle and where i work this seems to help.

There is no actual evidence that taking vitamins accomplishes anything. Of course we all take them (including me) but we are doing it on faith, just hoping it might do us some good somehow, or prevent some harm.

In the absence of evidence there is no rational basis for choosing one brand of multi-vitamin over another. We have to do that on faith too. Some of us might choose the cheapest, or the most expensive, or a store brand with the same ingredients as an expensive brand -- that last is what I do, but I have no evidence to support that choice.

I researched this on one of my short-lived health kicks, and Centrum rates pretty highly and is a good price.

The really expensive health food store ones may be organic, vegan, etc., but these things only matter if they matter to you. I'm not a vegan, so that doesn't matter to me, and I eat organic if it is better tasting than the non-organic food, so for a vitamin, that doesn't matter to me either.

I buy mine through Vitamin World (have been on vitamins all my life - father was a weight lifter and really pounded it into my head). As to no evidence of vits/mins accomplishing anything - Lack of certain vits and mins can be detrimental to your health! Very few people actually eat a well balanced diet, they ensure that you receive vitas/mins that are necessary to maintain good health.

No it's not! In fact most multi vitamins are rubbish , if you are serious about taking vitamins you can get a good 6 a day multi made from all whole ingredients at your local healthfood store or vitamin shop , but 1 a day multi's don't really work that well!

I partially agree with you. Two friends of mine who are both doctors tell me that a multi vitamin are fine. there may not be proof that they work but I will say that when I am off my "Mens 1 A Day" I get sick. When I am on it for a while I never get sick.
I am a big believer that a healthy lifestyle will serve you better though. Exercise and clean eating will far benefit you that relying on a multi vitamin.

I have heard that they are called Bedpan Bullets, or some such, because they can travel through the digestive tract undissolved and end up intact in the toilet.

I have no idea if thats true.

It is a fact.

We knew a guy who had a Port-a-John business who was telling us what crap Centrum vitamins were because he kept finding them in his crappers. When we asked how he knew they were Centrum he said he could still read the name on the side of the tablet.

We knew a guy who had a Port-a-John business who was telling us what crap Centrum vitamins were because he kept finding them in his crappers. When we asked how he knew they were Centrum he said he could still read the name on the side of the tablet.

Keep in mind that some of the complaints about Centrum not digesting are not specific to that company, but to all "hard" vitamins. They can run through your body without digesting. Its why doctors will tell you in general that a multivitamin is "not a bad idea"; it just doesn't do all that great compared to getting the vitamins through real food.

I think that they do liquid vitamins and minerals now, but don't know if they work better.

There is no actual evidence that taking vitamins accomplishes anything. <snip>

In the absence of evidence there is no rational basis for choosing one brand of multi-vitamin over another. We have to do that on faith too. <snip>

I have to disagree with this, and most, posts above. There is very good scientific evidence for maintaining vitamin and mineral minimums. Granted most well-fed people achieve this through food. If you're diet is lacking in some area - say vitamin D if you in live in the North and work indoors - you may well require a supplement.

There is also VERY good evidence that all vitamins are not created equal. Unfortunately the problem is not deficiency here. The problem with many (most?) vitamins is dangerously high doses and heavy metal contamination.

Option 1.
Spend a thousands of dollars and hire a 3rd party, independent lab to test the top 30 or so brands and give your their results.

Option 2.
Spend a couple of bucks and pay a 3rd party, independent lab who tests the top 30 or so brands every year to give you access to their research and read results and make a decision. A highly regarded lab is: http://www.consumerlab.com/

Option 3.
Take my word. I have a ConsumerLab account and regularly read their research. Centrum Silver is good. So is the Target brand multi. The Mega/Ultra/Super vitamins have levels which are proven dangerous. Many of the boutique vitamins are less than pure.

I stopped taking the hard multivitamins (MVs) years ago after I saw a test showing how long it takes for one to dissolve. Just put one in a cup of water and see how long it takes. From what I've been told, most of them have a lot of "chalk" filler in them and as others have mentioned, tend to pass through the digestive system undissolved.
I was an Amway distributor for a few years and I switched to Nutrilite Double X vitamins (Nutrilite is owned by Amway) and tried the same test and they dissolved in water relatively quickly. They are a lot more expensive than regular vitamins but from all the literature I read on them, well worth the money.
And no, I'm no longer an Amway distributor so I'm not trying to get you to buy any from me! LOL. That was years ago and all I can say is Google them and see for yourself.
I don't use them anymore so tried to find the closest replacement and have been trying MVs made from organic materials from my local Shoppers Drug Mart or Rexall Pharmacy.

Sticking a tablet in a glass of water to prove quality is a parlor trick. The digestive system is not a glass of water.

For general vitamin choices, one good sign of quality is one that has "USP" or "GMP" or "standardized" on the label. These are marks that they actually follow standardized pharmaceutical manufacturing practices.

A major problem with vitamins is that unless the maker is making claims of ability to cure diseases and/or they are adulterating their products with banned/controlled/or other pharmaceuticals, the FDA has very little control of vitamins. Vitamins, herbals, and related products are the wild west, complete with all sorts of snake oil.

Sticking a tablet in a glass of water to prove quality is a parlor trick. The digestive system is not a glass of water.

For general vitamin choices, one good sign of quality is one that has "USP" or "GMP" or "standardized" on the label. These are marks that they actually follow standardized pharmaceutical manufacturing practices.

A major problem with vitamins is that unless the maker is making claims of ability to cure diseases and/or they are adulterating their products with banned/controlled/or other pharmaceuticals, the FDA has very little control of vitamins. Vitamins, herbals, and related products are the wild west, complete with all sorts of snake oil.

Actually, I didn't say that it's ability to dissolve in water would prove its quality, but IMO it is an indicator. If your body can't digest them what good is it? If the acids in your digestive system can't dissolve one of these average multivitamins but a simple glass of room temperature water can dissolve the brand I was referencing, to me logic dictates that the one I referenced has a much greater chance of being absorbed into your system and benefiting you.

I've also talked to a couple doctors who've said the same thing that the typical multivitamin brands like Centrum, 1 a Day, Flintstones, etc are a waste of money for the same reasons, a lot of them are mostly filler, with non natural source ingredients that are very hard for your body to digest and absorb.

I was only offering my opinion in stating that I've made the change to plant based vitamins. I referenced the Nutrilite brand because I have used them and in speaking to other users they have noticed benefits in that brand over "filler" type brands. As far as I know their quality control is second to none. The main reason that I did stop taking them was that at the time I found the price a bit higher than I could afford. IIRC they're the largest manufacturer of multivitamins in the world...or something like that.

As for the FDA, I don't know how much weight I'd put in them. They remind me of the BBB, it's all about money. If you have the money it's a lot easier to be FDA or BBB approved.